The Kearney CFX 2025 report confirms that circular fashion has finally gone mainstream among global apparel brands, but only a small minority are turning pilot projects into truly scaled circular business models.
Circular Fashion Scores Rising But Momentum Is Slowing
In 2025, the Circular Fashion Index (CFX) evaluated 246 brands across 18 Countries and five core product categories, including fashion, sports, outdoor, underwear and lingerie, and footwear. More than 70% of brands now sit in the “moderate” circularity zone, which Kearney describes as a sign that circularity has become a strategic norm rather than a niche experiment.
However, only 3% to 5% of brands reached the “extensive” implementation level, revealing a major conversion gap between ambition and execution. Year‑on‑year CFX score gains are also slowing, which the report links to structural hurdles such as limited infrastructure, complex operations, and a still‑unclear business case for many circular models.
Where Circular Progress…
Is Happening According to Kearney, most of the latest progress comes from circular design and closing‑the‑loop initiatives, as more brands rethink products for durability, disassembly, and recyclability from the outset.
Examples in the report include mono‑material construction, modular design, and the use of digital product passports to support full life‑cycle transparency and future reuse or recycling.
Raw material reuse and take‑back programs are also gaining traction, particularly in Europe and North America, where regulation and extended producer responsibility schemes are pushing brands to think beyond first sale.
Categories such as underwear and lingerie, and some segments of luxury fashion, show some of the strongest score increases, especially in circular design and communication…
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